Staff Mechanical Engineer - Solar Mechanisms & Deployables
About the role
Muon seeks a Staff Mechanisms Design Engineer to own the design, qualification, and sustainment of the deployable and actuated mechanical systems that power our spacecraft: solar array deployables, solar array drive assemblies (SADA), hold-down and release mechanisms (HDRMs), hinges, dampers, and latches. These are mission-critical, single-point-failure systems, and this role owns them from requirements definition through qualification and on-orbit operation. As a foundational member of our new Solar & Deployables hardware group, the ideal candidate goes deep on requirements definition, mechanism design, analysis, prototyping, qualification, and transfer to production while collaborating across disciplines to deliver high-reliability solutions.
This position is hybrid and requires working on-site in our San Jose, CA office three days per week.
Responsibilities
Serve as the technical owner for deployable and actuated mechanisms — SADA, HDRMs, hinges, dampers, and latches — setting architecture and design direction across missions
Lead trades on deployable architectures and release-device technologies, making sound make vs. buy decisions that balance reliability, cost, and schedule
Lead the design, analysis, and optimization of deployment mechanisms, actuators, and release devices, including torque/force margin, structural, kinematic, tribological, and dynamic analyses
Own single-point-failure management for deployables, including margin, redundancy, and test-coverage strategy
Own mechanism qualification campaigns, including deployment testing with gravity offload, lifecycle testing, and environmental test (random vibration, TVAC, shock)
Define and champion mechanism design standards and best practices that scale across the organization
Mentor mechanical engineers and lead rigorous design reviews (PDR, CDR, MRR)
Drive mechanisms from prototype builds to constellation-scale production, applying lessons learned from builds, tests, and on-orbit operations
Qualifications
B.S. in Mechanical Engineering or a related technical field
10+ years of experience designing, building, and testing mechanisms or deployable hardware, including 5+ within the space industry
Deep expertise in one or more of: solar array deployables, SADA, HDRMs/release devices, hinges, dampers, or precision mechanisms
Strong command of mechanism analysis: torque/force margin, kinematics, bearings/tribology, preload, and stiffness
Proven track record of qualifying single-point-failure mechanisms, including deployment, life, and environmental testing
Expert-level command of CAD (SolidWorks preferred), GD&T, drawings, BOMs, and tolerance/mass/torque budgets
Excellent communication and presentation skills
Excited to work in a fast-paced environment with new challenges each week
Nice-to-have Skills
Flight heritage — deployable or actuated hardware you designed that has operated successfully in space
Direct SADA design experience (motor/actuator selection, bearings, slip rings, power/signal transfer across a rotating joint)
Experience qualifying mechanisms to NASA-STD-5017, ECSS, or equivalent mechanism standards
Experience establishing engineering standards and best practices at an organizational level
Experience managing external vendors and contract manufacturers for flight hardware
Salary
The salary range for this role is $202,000 - $223,000, plus a competitive equity grant and comprehensive benefits package. Final compensation will be determined based on skills, qualifications, experience, and geographic location as assessed during the interview process.